If Devo Manc was an animal, what would it be?

16 August 2017

The Devo Manc hub has commissioned three short stories to mark the first 100 days of Greater Manchester's first mayoral term.

"The mini-pig continued to eat, and as it ate, it started to grow. The men-in-charge told the caterers to stop bringing food, and the mini-pig howled its fury. We have to stand firm, the men-in-charge said, we want a mini-pig, not a monster, and so they locked the mini-pig in its room and went about their business."

Author Sarah Butler, who specialises in place-specific writing, has been commissioned by the Devo Manc hub to write three short stories which explore what Devo Manc might be and mean for the city. Sarah met with a range of academics working on Devo Manc, as well as other residents and campaigners in Manchester. She asked each of them: If Devo Manc was an animal, what would it be? Their answers inspired 3 stories which, released in the run-up to 100 days since Andy Burnham took office.

Accompanying films of Sarah reading the stories on location are available on the Devo Manc hub website. The stories 'The Mini-Pig', 'The Giraffe' and 'The Whale' are available in PDF format below: